Jeff Fisher: Janoris Jenkins will be “a really good player really soon”

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 15, 2012, 7:00 PM EST

AP

Jeff Fisher was confident when the Rams drafted Janoris Jenkins that they got a good NFL cornerback, and he’s even more confident about that now.

Fisher said on ESPN’s NFL 32 that the Rams did a tremendous amount of research into Jenkins — who was kicked off the Florida Gators football team after multiple arrests and was dropped on some teams’ draft boards because of character concerns — and that they heard universally good things about him.

“It started with the 15-minute interview at the Combine, and then the visit where we had him for the day. Believe me, no one did more research,” Fisher said. “Everyone we talked to along the road, whether it was in Pahokee, Florida, the University of Florida or people from North Alabama, everyone to a man said, ‘Take this young man.’ This stuff is behind him.”

Now that Fisher has had a chance to see Jenkins up close at the team’s rookie minicamp, he’s even more confident: Fisher says Jenkins has everything an NFL team looks for in a cornerback.

“He’s very talented — obviously we knew that, and that has shown just in the last couple days,” Fisher said. “He’s got excellent football intelligence and he carries things from the classroom to the field. He’s going to be a really good player really soon for us.”

And if Jenkins can stay out of trouble off the field, he should be a really good player for a long time.

I hope Jeff is right and that Janoris reaches his potential. With the experience he had with Pacman Jones, I would expect Fisher to be extra diligent about adding Jenkins. The fact he took him at all seems to be a good sign.

Maybe … once he gets out of all of those court hearings from being sued for child support by all of those baby mamas. Oh … and he’ll have to quit the ganja, too. Odds are against it. More likely, he’ll turn some teammates on to the wacky tobacky.

Nobody did more research, and we heard universally good things is just a load of BS. If there was universally good things and nothing bad, how did the character concerns come up in the first place. Just be honest and say we hope he stays out of trouble and plays to his potential and spare me this universally good things crap.

I never seen so many critics when it comes to putting down these young players who had a few run ins.have any of you ever made a mistake in your life ?this kid is trying to go clean .why try so hard to make him look like a failure when he’s the one playing in the NFL picking up the big check and you’re the ones blog hating on him . Bunch of no life haters if you ask me .

“Everyone we talked to along the road, whether it was in Pahokee, Florida, the University of Florida or people from North Alabama, everyone to a man said, ‘Take this young man.’ This stuff is behind him.”

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The University of Florida said “take this man”? Why’d they kick him off the team in the first place? If “this stuff is behind him” why didn’t they reinstate him?

The thing about Jeff Fisher is…solid coach
yes..But the thing is..He is the only one who doesn’t realize he is a bad judge of character. He should’ve really realized that by NOW. Let’s just put it like this. The Rams are in a good position to take some risks in the draft, and with JJ’s skill set it was a good risk/reward scenario. All this stuff is media fodder to feed the needs of the likes of the Mike Florios.

They’re not going to bluntly put things like Jenkins is totally clueless, and maybe will never “get it.” But we feel we’re such good a good coaching staff that we like his chances. And if he busts, well..He’s just one of a few dozen draft picks we hauled in over the next couple a years anyway.

He has tremendous talent but being a cowboys fan we couldnt afford another character issued guy..high risk high reward but only time will tell..a lot of these players didnt grow up picture perfect and maybe with a few mentors he can turn his life around